Mark Martin Is Too Old For The Draft

Look. I’ve held out from blogging about the should-Mark-run-or-not debate for long enough. I can’t wait until Bristol to see that Mark is no where to be found.

Sure, I’d love to see him continue to race.

But, Mark has decided that a NASCAR Championship is not worth fighting for anymore. I don’t see why people continue to try and force him to fight a battle he doesn’t want to fight.

The way I see it, Mark knows we are only going into race #5 of 36. Banking now on being the driver that is hoisting the Nextel Cup at Homestead is foolish thinking. Mark is a champion, no doubt, in many ways. Just not the NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion.

I look at the above picture and can feel the pain and disappointment. This shot is of Mark being consoled by his wife, Arlene, after losing the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship to Dale Earnhardt.

The year is 1990, and Martin led the points standings from early June through October, but Earnhardt charged past to capture his fourth championship.

Martin has tasted the Championship many times. But, in the end fell short of the points. Why set himself up for more heartache?

I applaud his decision to do it his way. Skip Bristol and Martinsville, and come back more in control of his NASCAR destiny than he has ever been in his life.